Fallout 76 cross-play support isn't in Bethesda's “immediate plans,” but the developer is no longer completely against the idea. On the contrary, they are now actively evaluating the work required to make this much in demand Fallout 76 a reality, a senior official has revealed.
Bethesda's Appalachia-set live-service RPG has been limited to 24 players per server since its inception in 2018. Likewise, it has kept players separate by platform from day one, running separate servers for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players. Despite some vocal parts of Fallout 76 Bethesda has spent years supporting cross-play, and Bethesda has consistently ignored these pleas, sometimes citing technical hurdles as the primary obstacle to implementing truly cross-platform servers. More than seven years after the game's release, the developer now seems to be signaling a change in direction.
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Bethesda 'Looking Into' Fallout 76 Cross-Play
In an early February 2026 interview with Polygon, Fallout 76 Creative Director Jon Rush revealed that Bethesda has finally decided to explore the possibility of bringing multiplayer platforms to its long-running game. “We're looking into it and we have plans to try to figure out what that work will mean for us,” the chief said. But those efforts are still in their infancy, with Rush quick to note that players shouldn't expect any major developments anytime soon. “It's just not in the immediate plans for us,” he explained, without committing to a more concrete timeline.
Fallout 76 Lead producer Bill LaCoste told Polygon that the very notion of cross-play support is a huge retrofit since multi-platform servers are usually something that's solved before launch, not seven-plus years after the fact. Revisiting the idea now would mean dealing with entitlements, account purchases and currency management across different ecosystems. The comments are consistent with years of Bethesda comments warning against it Fallout 76 cross-play support is a huge technical challenge. Yet the very fact that it is now actively assessing the feature marks a shift from earlier positions, which were much more dismissive of the idea. LaCoste downplayed the possibility of cross-platform servers as recently as October 2025. What exactly changed in the meantime to make Bethesda reconsider its stance is unclear.
We are watching [Fallout 76 cross-play support]and we have plans to try to find out what that work will mean for us. It's just not in the immediate plans for us.
Unified matchmaking could shorten Fallout 76 off-peak queue times, reduce friction for players switching platforms and help stabilize participation in seasonal events. Separately, Bethesda has said its plans for 2026 aim to make the West Virginia game more action-packed, focusing on deepening existing systems and introducing new ways to engage with current content rather than adding features indiscriminately. These efforts come as the studio continues to juggle new things Starfield content and The Elder Scrolls 6.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
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Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
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While Fallout 76 cross-play is not expected in the short term, minor netcode changes are still a possibility. Bethesda has introduced a number of such improvements over the years, including instance upgrades, increased storage limits, network optimizations, and vendor inventory synchronization. When it comes to the task, the developer has been consistent over the years in communicating that its Creation Engine was simply not built with multiple platforms in mind. The issue is apparently one of SDK aggregation, as the PlayStation, Xbox and PC versions of the game basically implement multiplayer in their own way. The is however, a semblance of standardization, as PC users have always been able to play Fallout 76 with their peers regardless of whether they purchased the game through Steam, the Microsoft Store, GOG, or Bethesda's own (now defunct) launcher.
- Released
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November 14, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intent Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
